We reached out to some of our favorite entrepreneurs and asked them to think back and tell us about how they decided to start a business. Check out their responses below.

David and Shaunda | DJ and Producer

Shaunda: We realized that there was a gap in the house and techno scene in our area. We wanted to create a safe space for people from all walks of life to enjoy similar tastes in music and culture. I had been working with different production and festival companies for a while. After I started feeling more comfortable with curating events, I teamed up with David. Read more>>

Tresa Chambers | Brand & Content Strategist for Creative Entrepreneurs

I came to the notion of starting my business after years of struggling to navigate a corporate career. I was raised to think that the way to succeed in life was to get a college degree, get a job and keep that job until I retired. Problem was, working in traditional corporate jobs didn’t make me feel successful. Instead, I felt dragged down because while I had many skills to offer, I was put in roles based on what the company needs were, not my interests or passion. Read more>>

Jarred Tobin | Doctor of Physical Therapy

My business was born from a place of need; both for myself and for the people of DFW. I went to physical therapy school with every intention of working for someone else and just collecting my checks to spend that hard earned cash with my wife making memories and traveling. Fast forward to graduation, obtaining the dream job and realizing it’s a scam. I quickly realized that the health insurance industry is letting us down and relying on them as a business is a huge liability. Couple this with a toxic work environment and gossiping staff, it was a no-brainer to not renew my contract and queue Movement Theory Physical Therapy and Wellness. Read more>>

Abe López | U.S. Army Combat Veteran, Model, Actor & Small Business Owner

Last year, when I saw Jennifer Lopez perform at Biden’s Inauguration and sing ‘This Land is your Land’, there was a moment when she translated in spanish a small part of the Pledge of Allegiance. She said, “Una nación bajo Dios, indivisible con libertad y justicia para todos.” Right then and there, I envisioned a name, a brand that would represent all latinos around the world, regardless of where they come from. Read more>>

Chaz Edwards | PGA Teaching Professional & Co-Founder

Our goal was to create a relaxed and comfortable environment where all skills levels from beginner to expert can learn the game of golf as well as hone their skills. Full swing is just a part of a game where putting and short game are a large percentage of your score making the ability to work on all aspects of the game a priority. Our chipping/pitching green and putting green outfitted with PuttView technology make practicing short game more fun and engaging. The open layout of our space creates a feeling of being outdoors without the worry of inclement weather or running out of daylight in the afternoon hours of winter. Read more>>

Jeremy P. Jordan | Licensed Professional Real Estate Agent

After 20 years in the Army, I had traveled the world and seen so much but I always wanted to help people when it came to Real Estate. When I finished my service in the Army, I used my G.I. bill and finally got my real estate license to live my dream of helping people and partnering with Veterans Real Estate Partners made that dream come true. Read more>>\]

Cory Fourniquet | Owner/Host of GT: Garage Talk

I have dreamed of owning and running my own business since I was 9 years old. I used to “keep the books” of an imaginary business right there in my bedroom. Naturally, when it came time to go to college, I gravitated towards business classes and majored in Management. After spending over a decade as an analyst for a regional grocery store chain, I felt the time was right to make my dream a reality. With the help and blessing of my wife, some blood sweat, and tears, and many late hours my dream of being my one boss became a reality. Read more>>

Matt Raekelboom | Lifestyle Transformation Expert , Public Speaker, & Influencer

Starting my business was I believe to be a very unique situation. I went viral through social media talking about ADHD Awareness and making people feel like they were not alone on February 15th 2020 and from there I reached millions of accounts on a monthly basis always asking questions like: “Where do I go to get started?” “What is the best website to find help on?” “Is there a club I can join where other people like me are?” ETC. As someone who really cared about giving people the direction I never had growing up I went crazy looking on the internet for places I would recommend and I realize very quickly that what I was looking for didn’t exist. Read more>>

Jen Jones | Chef & CHC

I’ve been in the food service/culinary world pretty much my entire life in one capacity or another! When the pandemic hit in 2020 I was working for a catering company, that ended pretty quick, like everything else associated with the restaurant industry. So I took advantage of the slow down for a while, but I can’t sit still for very long. I had previously provided meal prep services for my friends & family, Read more>>

Alan Goldsher | Producer/Director/Editor

I already had a business (an Emmy Awarded production company since 2011) when I began my current project. When the pandemic happened, it caused me to reflect on my work, my priorities and most importantly – my capabilities, which prompted me to develop a new skill, producing and editing my own content, as opposed to hiring others to do it. Read more>> 

Victoria De La O | Latina Business Owner & Mom

I worked a 9-5 job up until I was 9 months pregnant. When I had just gave birth to my oldest son, I went into the hospital on March 26th, 2020 with no restrictions and left on March 29th with all the new COVID regulations. As a direct result, I knew instantly in my heart that 1. I didn’t ever want to miss a second of my sons life and 2. I don’t want to risk anything happening to either of us because I needed to be an essential worker. Read more>>

Mira Cassidy | DV Survivor, Empowerment Coach, Motivational Speaker, Writer

I started my own business because I had the desire to have something that was mine, something that I created and crafted. Also, I had this strong urge to simply make sure that I always felt free. Freedom is so important to me because I know what it’s like to be caged in or in a constant cycle of unhappiness that’s not improving. What I mean is as a survivor of domestic violence I know what it’s like to have a job that doesn’t fulfill you and you are only there because as a mom it works for your life, Read more>>

Amberly Leland | Small Business Owner

My desire with our small business was to bring awareness to my son’s rare disease, LAMA-2. Which then turned into so much more. Read more>>

Tania Liliana Sanchez | Photobooth Owner & Operator

When covid began in 2020, I lost my job. Things were a little rough for me because I was also about to give birth to my second child. My oldest child has asthma, so he misses a lot of school and we are always in and out of the hospital. Finding childcare for the two was difficult. I had a hard time finding a job that allowed me to work when I wanted. Read more>>

 

H&J Designs | Event Planning and Custom Designs

We both have passion for decorating and making visions come to life. Our family has always been very big on birthdays, so we always strive to make them special. We started out decorating parties for our children and other family members and then things really just took off. Family members started to refer us to other people, and our clientele continued to grow. We started posting photos of our products and then we started to receive orders at an overwhelming rate. At that point we decided it was time to take the next step and transform our passion into profit. Read more>>